Method and device for comparing the properties of products

ABSTRACT

A device and a method are disclosed for checking properties of wares and services. Standardized properties of wares and services are stored in a first database, wherein the wares and services are provided with a unique product identification code. Exclusion and desired criteria for wares and services for at least one user each are stored in a second database, access to the criteria being given by a unique user identification. With aid of a device which determines the product identification code, the product properties are preferably retrieved on-line and compared with the criteria of the user. The comparison can be done on-line on a central server or on a hand-reading device which the user carries with him. The user is advised optically or acoustically of the result.

The invention relates to methods and devices for checking properties ofwares and services. In particular, these are systems which enable theuser to check the quality features and ingredients of products.

In the course of the ever increasing spread of allergies, consumers havethe need to quickly and easily analyze what the consumer productscontain. However, this is not always readily possible since only a smallpart and only the necessary substances are often shown on the packaging.Even if the ingredients are noted on the packaging, the consumerrequires longer time to determine which ones are of concern to him.

The object of the invention is to provide a method and a device whichenable the consumer to determine in best time whether the product meetshis requirements.

This object is solved by the inventions according to the features of theindependent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the inventions aredescribed in the subclaims. An important feature is a mobile terminalwhich can access exclusion and desired criteria by means of useridentification, whereby the terminal has input capabilities, inparticular a bar code reader, with reference to which the productproperties can be determined by a central database. The two informationscan be compared either on the user device or on a central server. Afurther embodiment is provided for the Internet in which a simpleinterlinking and loading of information is used to obtain the desiredresult. Details are described below.

In particular, the present method for checking properties of wares andservices comprises access to a first database in which standardizedproperties of wares and services are stored. To enable access to theseproperties, the wares are provided with a unique product identificationwhich is preferably a bar code. Other machine-readable identificationsare also feasible. If the invention is to be applied via the Internet,then a unique link (URL) is the preferred variant. Preferably, thestructuring of the information is group oriented, so that access to theinformation is quickly possible. The properties are input by themanufacturer or by the firm which distributes the products. Preferably,they are stored in XML. To ensure that there are no allocationdifficulties, a number of ingredients are provided from which a subsetis selected. This approach requires that the database system becontinuously adapted and updated by new classes and particulars.

The method has a reading capability on a further database in whichexclusion and desired criteria for wares and services can be accessed bymeans of a unique user identification. These criteria correspond to thecriteria for the wares and services, as already described above. Here,the user can individually indicate by links which criteria he prefers orwhich ones he would like to avoid. It is pointed out that this is onlyone possible embodiment. In other embodiments, fuzzy terms and synonymlists can be used from which the information can be derived. It is alsofeasible to use interference algorithms which solve the problem posed.The noted criteria are maintained for groups or specific products orservices by the user or templates can be provided which the userspecially adapts. Thus, it is feasible that templates are provided forhouse dust allergies or other allergies which the user only has toincorporate in his individual profile. This profile is accessed by aunique user identification. The databases are accessed after the userhas marked a product or a service, preferably interactively, as a resultof which the product identification is determined. This identificationis used in a further step in which the user provides its unique useridentification to determine exclusion and desired criteria as well asthe properties of the wares and services on the basis of the productidentification. In a further step, in which the criteria are comparedwith the properties, the user is advised of the result.

In a further embodiment, the user profiles are not stored on a centralserver, but locally on a mobile device. In this embodiment, Internetaccess to a local server is not required. The mobile terminal ispreferably connected via a wireless LAN or another network with adatabase in which the properties of wares and services are stored. Thecomparison step takes place either in the mobile device aftertransmission of the product properties or in a central or decentralizeddevice which is situated in the network by providing the central ordecentralized device with the exclusion and/or desired criteria. Torecord the product identification, the mobile device may have an opticalreading device with which a bar code can be read.

If, on the other hand, a virtual unreal product is checked which isoffered in the Internet, whereby the product identification ispreferably configured as a unique link in the Internet, then access tothe first database with the product identification is made possible byclicking. It is possible to generate cost information based on thecorresponding signature of this link. The vendor has to provide this inthe following. The user identification is preferably provided byinformation stored on the client (computer or mobile terminal). However,it is also possible that a special window is opened in which the usercan enter his code. The preferred variant is, however, a cookie whichcodes the user information. In this solution, the comparison operationcan take place on a central server. However, it is also feasible thatthe required information is transmitted to the client who carries outthe comparison operations.

A further component of the present invention is a mobile user device forchecking properties of wares and services which is preferably embeddedin an infrastructure as described in the preceding methods. A productidentification is read in or input via a reading or input unit. A useridentification or the exclusion and desired criteria are stored in astorage area. The user identification and the product identification aresent to a central server via network access means. Via theidentifications, the server has access to the properties of wares andservices which he then compares with the exclusion and inclusioncriteria. The latter are associated with the user identification. Theresult of the comparison is sent back and the result of the comparisonis shown in a display unit, in particular the degree of agreement and/ordeviation.

In a modified embodiment, the comparison is carried out on the mobileterminal, whereby either the exclusion and desired criteria are storedon the device or loaded via the network. On the other hand, the productproperties are loaded by the network.

Inputting is preferably performed via a bar code reader or a keyboard.Pens which enable a handwriting identification are also feasible. Theconnection to a network preferably takes place by means of a wirelessLAN, a GSM network or UMTS network.

A further component of the present invention is a software whichimplements the functionality on a conventional PDA. Reference is made tothe claim for details. A further part of the invention is a data carrierwhich incorporates this software.

Another component of the invention is a server system which consists ofseveral interlinked or a single server and which takes over the datamanagement, in particular for the products and the user, and enablescomparison operations.

The invention will be described in greater detail in the following withreference to examples of embodiments which are schematically illustratedin the drawings. Same reference numbers designate the same elements inthe individual figures, which show in detail:

FIG. 1 a mobile terminal according to the invention which reads theinformation via a scanner in order to then transmit it over a wirelessnetwork and a further network to a central computer which has access tovarious databases in which the required information is stored;

FIG. 2 a device within the Internet according to the invention in whichthe corresponding databases are referenced by way of an area which isconfigured as a link and in which a cookie is stored on the user'scomputer.

Numerous variations and further developments of the describedembodiments can be realized within the scope of the invention.

The preferred two embodiments are described in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 1 shows a mobile device 11, as it can e.g. also be configured inthe form of a pen, with which a user 12 can check the ingredients ofproducts 10, e.g. when shopping. The user identification is stored onthe device 11, wherein in special cases also the profile, i.e. theexclusion and desired criteria, are stored. In this case, the latter areused for comparison on the terminal.

If, on the other hand, only the identifications are present, then bothare transmitted to a central server 16 which has access to the databases14 and 15. The properties of wares and services and the exclusion anddesired criteria can be determined on these databases with reference tothe identification. After the two pieces of information have beendetermined, they are compared and the result is transmitted via thenetwork 13 and the radio link to the terminal 11.

FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment in which the user is connected tothe central server 16 via a client computer 17 and the Internet. A linkarea 19, which is shown in an enlargement of the screen, can be clickedon by a mouse 20, said clicking on causing a unique productidentification to be sent to the server 16. In this way, the link area19 represents a reference 22 to the information in the database 15. Thereference 21 makes the connection of the user identification which isstored in a storage medium of the client computer 17 with theinformation in the database 14. The comparison operations can take placeboth on the client computer and on the server.

1-16. (canceled)
 17. A method of checking properties of wares orservices, the method comprising: providing a first database in which theproperties of wares or services are stored, the wares or services beingidentifed by a unique product identification code; providing a seconddatabase in which user profiles containing exclusion or desired criteriafor the wares or services for each respective user are stored; aparticular user selecting a ware or service and determining the productidentification code therefor; retrieving the properties of the wares orservices on the basis of the determined product identification code;retrieving the exclusion or desired criteria for the particular user;comparing the retrieved exclusion or desired criteria for the wares orservices with the retrieved properties of wares or services; andadvising the particular user of the result of the comparison.
 18. Themethod of claim 17, wherein the exclusion and desired criteria and saidproperties are stored in a structured manner, and wherein properties andsaid exclusion and desired criteria are retrieved by carrying out ahierarchical search.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein a user profilecontaining said exclusion and desired criteria are stored in a mobiledevice and the comparison takes place in the mobile device upon receiptof the properties of the wares or services from a central server, orwherein said user profile is transmitted to said central ordecentralized server and said comparison takes place in said centralserver.
 20. The method of claim 17, further comprising inputting theproperties of the wares or services and user profiles containingexclusion or desired criteria in a configuration step.
 21. The method ofclaim 17, wherein the product identification code is a bar code.
 22. Themethod of claim 17, wherein the product identification code isconfigured as a unique link on the Internet which is adapted, whenactivated, to access the first database, wherein the particular userenables access to the exclusion or desired criteria, and wherein thecomparison operation takes place on a central server.
 23. The method ofclaim 22, wherein access to the exclusion or desired criteria is enabledby a cookie stored on a device associated with the particular user. 24.The method of claim 17, wherein the product identification code isstored as unique information on the Internet, wherein a client computerreads the product identification code and retrieves the properties ofthe wares and services from the first database over the Internet, theclient computer retrieves the exclusion or desired criteria from saidsecond database, which is either at a central server or in a localdatabase on the client computer, and effects said comparison.
 25. Themethod of claim 17, wherein said exclusion or desired criteria areassociated in said second database with a unique identification code foreach user, and said exclusion or desired criteria are retrieved fromsaid second database on the basis of said unique user identificationcode.
 26. A mobile user device for checking properties of wares orservices, comprising: an input unit by means of which properties ofwares or services can be input; a storage area in which a useridentification code is stored; network connection means adapted to sendthe user identification code and a unique identification code for thewares or services to a central server, the central server being adaptedto access the properties of the wares or services by means of the uniqueproduct identification code and compare them with exclusion or desiredcriteria associated with the unique user identification code in order tosend the result of the comparison back to the mobile user device; and adisplay unit for showing the result of the comparison of the propertiesof the wares or services with the exclusion or desired criteria.
 27. Themobile user device of claim 26, wherein said input unit is a codereader.
 28. A mobile user device for checking properties of wares orservices, comprising: an input unit by means of which properties ofwares and services can be input; a storage area in which a user profilecontaining exclusion or desired criteria is stored; a network connectionmeans adapted to send a unique product identification code for the waresor services to a central server, the central server being adapted toaccess the properties of wares or services via said unique productidentification code, and receive the properties of wares or servicesback from the central server; a comparison unit for comparing theproperties of the wares or services with the exclusion or desiredcriteria stored in said storage area; and a display unit adapted to showthe display of said comparison.
 29. The mobile user device of claim 28,wherein said input unit is a code reader.
 30. The mobile user device ofclaim 29, wherein said code reader is a bar code reader.
 31. The mobileuser device of claims 26 or 28, comprising means which enable aconnection to a wireless LAN, a GSM network or UMTS network.
 32. Asoftware module for a mobile user device which when run on said mobileuser device: provides an input capability for an identification codeassociated with properties of wares or services; reserves a storage areain which a user profile containing exclusion or desired criteria for aparticular user is stored; allows a unique product identification codeto be sent to a central server which has access to the properties of thewares or services associated with the unique product identificationcode; receives the properties of the wares or services from the centralserver and compares them with the exclusion or desired criteria; anddisplays the result of the comparison on said mobile device.
 33. Asoftware module for a mobile user device which when run on said mobileuser device: provides an input capability for an identification codeassociated with properties of wares or services; reserves a storage areain which a user profile containing a unique user identification code isstored; allows the unique user identification code and a unique productidentification code to be sent to a central server which has access tothe properties of the wares or services associated with the uniqueproduct identification code and performs a comparison of the propertiesof said wares or services associated with said unique product code withthe exclusion or desired criteria associated with said unique useridentification code; receives the result of said comparison performed atthe central server; and displays the result of said comparison on saidmobile device.
 34. The software module of claim 32 or 33, wherein themobile user device is a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a mobiletelephone.
 35. A data carrier, comprising a loadable data structurewhich stores the software module of claim 32 or
 33. 36. A server systemcomprising several interlinked servers or a single server, the serversystem comprising: a first storage medium on which a first database isstored in which properties of wares or services are stored, wherein thewares or services are associated with a unique product identificationcode; a second storage medium on which a second database is stored inwhich exclusion or desired criteria for wares or services for eachrespective user are stored, wherein access to the criteria is given onthe basis of a unique user identification code associated with eachuser; a network unit which receives the user identification code and theproduct identification code; and a processing unit which is capable ofdownloading the exclusion or desired criteria and the properties of thewares or services from the first and second databases on the basis ofthe product identification code and the user identification code inorder to then compare them and transmit the result or store the resultfor later recall.
 37. The server system of claim 35, further comprisingmeans for receiving a URL query, whereby the product identification codecan be found in the URL query, means for requesting a unique useridentification code from a client.
 38. The server system of claim 35,wherein the user identification code is provided in form of a cookie.39. A data carrier comprising a computer-loadable data structure whichimplements the functionality of the server as defined in claim 35 on aconventional computer.